TNAG-1791-FCO40-2551-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-refugees-repatriation--including-Opera-1988 — Page 26

HKD 243/8

PA

98

CONFIDENTIAL

DA

CONFIDENTIAL

FM BANGKOK

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 242

OF 22050OZ APRIL 88

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, HANOI

rearly stye of consideration

122551

MDHIAN 6712

FOR SEAD

CALL BY THAI PERMANENT SECRETARY ON PUS: MONDAY, 25 APRIL.

1

-

POLITICAL DIRECTOR THEP DEVAKUL TOLD ME LAST NIGHT THAT

HE HAD BEEN MUCH IMPRESSED BY THE REPORTED REMARKS TO THE PRESS

BY OUR GOVERNOR IN HONG KONG ON 19 APRIL IN WHICH THE GOVERNOR HAD

HAD SOME TOUGH WORDS TO SAY ABOUT VIETNAM'S ''VERY HEAVY

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE APPALLING SITUATION IN WHICH THOUSANDS OF

PEOPLE CONTINUE TO RISK THEIR LIVES AT SEA''

IN PARTICULAR,

THEP NOTED THAT HONG KONG IS REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING ‚'ARRANGEMENTS BY WHICH NEW ARRIVALS ARE NOT DEFINED AS REFUGEES BUT ARE

SOMETHING ELSE LIKE ECONOMIC MIGRANTS WHO COULD BE

RETURNED'

2. THEP SAID THAT, IN THE LIGHT OF FRENCH'S RECENT VISIT TO

THAILAND AND THE REMARKS OF OUR GOVERNOR, THEY WERE CONSIDERING

CLOSER ASEAN COORDINATION OVER THE REFUGEE ISSUE (AS WE HAVE

ALREADY REPORTED) AND VERY MUCH HOPED THAT BRITAIN COULD JOIN

ASEAN IN A TOUGHER POLICY, INCLUDING PERHAPS A COMBINED APPROACH

TO VIETNAME ASKING THEM TO IMPROVE CONTROL OVER ILLEGAL DEPARTURES.

3.

•

THEP INDICATED THAT HE WAS AWARE THAT THE VIETNAMESE WERE CURRENTLY, MAKING APPROACHES TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ASKING FOR FOOD AID. THEP SAID THAT FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS

VIETNAM HAD BEEN MAKING SUCH REQUESTS, ALLEGING SHORTAGES PRIMARILY AS A RESULT OF FLOODS, TYPHOONS, PESTS AND OTHER ACTS OF GOD. BUT ANOTHER REASON, AND POSSIBLY THE MAIN REASON, WAS THAT THE

VIETNAMESE ECONOMY WAS INCAPABLE OF MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE

POPULATION AND HE VERY MUCH HOPED THAT IN ANY RESPONSE TO THE

LATEST VIETNAMESE REQUEST, SOME PRESSURE COULD BE EXERTED ON VIETNAME TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE CONTINUING DEPARTURES. THE

WEST OUGHT NOT TO OFFER FOOD AID UNLESS VIETNAME AGREED TO HALT

THE REFUGEE EXODUS.

4. THEP NOTED THAT, ACCORDING TO THE UNITED STATES FIGURES, OVER 675,000 REFUGEES, OR MORE THAN 1 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION OF

1

PAGE

CONFIDENTIAL